But something was always in the way when it came to putting my body and my life on the line.

Fighting the coal industry has been a scary road for me. I can remember initially being pissed that somewhere someone was blowing up mountains that I had called my own for a lot of years. Then I realized that they were blowing up mountains close to my home which, as far as I was concerned, WERE my mountains. I had always tried to avoid conflict, now I was not only in the middle of a major conflict, I was fanning the flames myself. Speaking about what I was doing became scary, I still thought that I had to have a JOB and that my opinions of course could affect that. I was afraid for my own well-being as well but I still stuck I LOVE MOUNTAINS stickers on my car and drove to the mine site by myself. I still went to DC to lobby against such total disregard of mountains and people. But something was always in the way when it came to putting my body and my life on the line. I have removed those barriers slowly and carefully. I have come to realize is that even if all of these things were not true, if my very livelihood and existence depended upon not doing this things, then I would still do them. I would do them BECAUSE it is my responsibility to fight what I know is wrong and unjust. I do NOT have a choice.

I feel that posing for these very tasteful, thoughtful, thought provoking, compassionate and deep meaning photographs will be the beginning of a deeper commitment to fight for this earth, our water and our people for. By baring my body, a body that I mostly see in a not so positive light, a body that has born three healthy children, I became part of that mountain in her stripped off and barren state after she has nurtured centuries of life. In these photos my broken, bruised, bare, imperfect and vulnerable body stands on a mountain that is the same. A mountain that was once perfect, because everything in nature, left alone by man, is absolutely perfect. The mountain, untouched by man, is a woman giving life to all that live upon her and within her. A woman that has now had every layer removed, stripped from her without consent, that has been shoved and pushed and manipulated into her approximate original contour. A woman that can no longer nurture life, that is completely bare of all protection for herself and any life that dares to try and exist upon her. I play but a small, small part in protecting this land but I hope that my small part encourages others to do the same.